Demi said goodbye as he headed to town. She didn't go with him because of her report. Her thesis was almost done, so they would be heading back to Manila soon. She went out and took a walk. She saw a group of women there. She approached them. "Good afternoon," she said politely. "Oh, it's you, miss. Would you like some?" An old woman offered her a banana cue. "Oh, yes.. thank you," she sat down beside them, "how are you doing here?" "We're fine, miss," they replied. "You don't have any problems?" she asked. They looked at each other. They were all around fifty years old or older. "Could you ask sir why they deduct one hundred pesos from us every week?" an old woman asked, "in a month, that's about four to five hundred pesos." "Okay, what explanation did they give you about the deduction?" he asked. "They just said at Jessa's office that it’s for emergency purposes." "How long has this been going on?" "About five years, maybe." "Why don't you complain to Demi?"
"I need 45 pairs of shoes," she told Sandro. "Huh? That's a lot! What are you going to do with them?" He was puzzled by her request. "The kids at the farm requested them," she explained as she headed back to her grandmother's house. "How am I supposed to guess—" "Here!" She handed him a plastic bag. "I want you to customize them in Manila. Then, have their names printed on the sides. I want them all to be identical." "You're so demanding," he complained. "Turns out you really are Sir Sandro's niece, senorita," Olga said in disbelief. "We don't look alike because Maine is ugly, and—ouch!" Her grandmother smacked her on the head. "Stop badmouthing my granddaughter!" The old woman scolded Sandro. "She's my mom's sister," she clarified to Olga. "Why? Don't they know there that you aren't just living off your husband? You're even richer than Demitri!" Her grandmother sat down in front of her. "I don't want that, Grandma. I want them to accept me in their own way. Actu
"Maine," Jessa called out to me, waving, "let's go over here," pointing to a spot behind the court. The tree there provided ample shade, making it a pleasant place despite the bright sun. "This place is nice," she said to me, admiringly. "Lea and the others are coming later. Does sir Demi. know you're with me?" she asked, making sure. "No, he's not around," I replied. She smiled, but it was more of a sly grin. "We'll just stay here. Oh, here they come," she said as Lea, Carla, and Andres approached. "Why is there a guy?" I asked her, feeling a bit uneasy. "Andres is gay, don't worry," she said, laughing. "Did you bring the snacks?" "Yes, they're here," Andres replied. Andres was a good-looking guy, but I'd heard he had a bad reputation, known to be a bit of a creep. As we drank, I noticed the girls giving me sideways glances. Jessa kept whispering to Andres, making me even more uncomfortable. "I'm feeling dizzy," I told them, trying to sound convincingly unsteady.
I was walking with Andres when we passed by a group of elderly women whispering among themselves. "The rumors are true, that woman really is a flirt." "It's a wonder sir still puts up with her." "Let me tell you, she must be good in bed for sir to like her! My daughter Jessa is way prettier than that woman sir picked up from who knows where. If she hadn't trapped our boss, she might be my daughter-in-law by now," said one woman loudly, who turned out to be Jessa's mother. "Julieta, watch your mouth," one of her companions scolded her. "I don't care, even if she hears me!" she replied arrogantly. I couldn't take it anymore and approached them. I was smiling, while Andres just watched. "How are you? Looks like you're making me the topic of your gossip session," I said to them. The others fell silent as I got closer. "Yes, we are talking about you! Why would sir go for you when you're just a prostitute?" she snapped at me. I smirked, "Because he got me as a virgin... th
"Sir, you need to teach your wife a lesson. She's been seeing other men; how can you stand it?" Jessa complained to Demi. "And what makes you say that?" he asked her. "She's often with Andres, sir. They have a relationship. We even saw her at Sir Sandro's house. Why did you hire a prostitute in the first place?" she ranted while following him to the stable. "My wife would never do that, Jessa. Don’t slander her. By the way, I need the financial files for tomorrow. I've noticed the farm's profits seem to be shrinking," he said. Jessa was surprised by his statement but continued to insist on her accusations about Maine. "But sir, it's all over the farm that she and Andres are having an affair. Even the elders say that woman flirts with everyone." "Alright, let's do this. Are you sure about your claims?" "Of course, sir!" "Okay, if we find out you're telling the truth, I'll have my wife imprisoned and divorce her. But if not, I'll have you and your family imprisoned. Is tha
Everyone gathered at the basketball court, and Jessa's family was there, smirking, looking like they would eat me alive upon seeing me. All the police officers were in civilian clothes. You wouldn't think they were police officers. We had a lawyer with us, and so did Jessa's family. The purpose of that meeting was to put an end to the nonsense from Jessa's family. The barangay captain and the tanods were also there. They were the mediators. Demi stepped into the center to speak. "Now, I want to make everything clear. I don't want you to think that I am taking my spouse's side. However, it is not right for you to spread rumors about him. You don't know him to be calling him a flirt and other things. You have blown a single joke out of proportion," Demi began. "Why do we see her flirting with Sir Sandro?" Lea asked. "That's right," Jessa added. There was a murmur of agreement among the crowd, claiming they had seen me flirting with various people. Tito Sandro stood up and
"So, now, everything is clear. There really was exploitation here! You even brought your lawyer, huh?" That was Demi, "you know, Jessa, if I liked you, I would have left Matilda for you a long time ago. But no matter how much you undress in front of me, I don't feel even the slightest desire for you, and it's because of your bad attitude!" "Now you know what kind of woman my niece is," that was Uncle Sandro, "so I hope you'll stop spreading rumors. Let this be a lesson to you! We may have been silent until now, but we've been acting legally. We didn't want it to come to this, but you forced us... you pushed us to take action against this nonsense." "Bu—but sir, please consider our contributions here on the farm!" Jessa said, clearly agitated. "We've helped and supported many people here!" "What help?" Demi said, crossing her arms. "When people are sick, we help them get to the hospital!" Jessa replied. "I have the record book from your office, Jessa!" Demi said, holding up a
"You charge a hundred pesos each week from the workers here. With about three hundred workers, that means you're collecting 30,000 pesos every week," Demi began. "Those who resist are harassed and you increase the deductions from their wages. A worker's salary depends on the amount of harvest and the animals sold each week. We slaughter pigs and cows to sell at the market. Ideally, a person should earn three to four thousand pesos per week. However, based on this, you're only paying them 1,500 to 2,000 pesos, which means you're skimming off their earnings." "That's not true!" Jessa shouted, "you're making that up!" "Yes, those records are old!" Adora shouted. "Here are your passbooks. How can you save hundreds of thousands in a week when your salary, Jessa, is only twenty thousand pesos per month, including your mother's?" I asked them. "You, woman, ever since you came here, this place has been in chaos!" Jessa snapped at me, "we were fine before you arrived!" "It's a good
My uncle was lying on the floor, laughing and laughing, while the people around me were smirking as I think they knew everything about this scene. My brows furrowed, as I looked at my husband, and demanded an explanation. "I'm sorry honey. I want you to come over, but I don't know how to ask you. Because I know, you will get mad at me," he went closer to me. I raised my hand and slapped him twice. The people around us, were all shocked! They didn't say any words, even my uncle Sandro. I felt betrayed! I'm so foolish to believe them! Olga, Marisa, everyone, they make fun of me! "I'm sorry senyorita," Olga, kneeled in front of me, "we just want you to be happy. We want you and senyorito to stay together, because we know, that you love each other." "Forgive us, senyorita," Marisa also kneeled. "It's our fault. Please, forgive us.." My head was already hurting because of them. Gradually, I felt like a candle burning out. Before I could fall to the floor, Uncle Sandro and Demi caught
"Senyorita, I have news," Olga, suddenly approached me, "Marisa told me that sir's woman are here. They're in the room together.""Really? Now? As in right now?" I confirmed with her."Yes, Senyorita. We need to go there before they leave. And you can catch them in the act," Olga urged."Alright, just a moment. I'll get dressed," I stormed into my room, took a quick shower, and dressed in something elegant and sexy. When i stepped out, Olga was surprised to see me."Senyorita, what are you wearing? Why like that? You never wear revealing clothes." she asked, puzzled"I need to dress like this so your Sir knows what he'll lose if he continues his affair with that woman. Are you sure they're there?""Yes, Senyorita. Marisa said they're definitely there. They just arrived," she confirmed."Good. Where's there... should we splash acid on them?" I asked."Oh no, Senyorita. That's too much. Just hurt them. We'll hold them," she stopped me."Alright. That might be better. The nerve of that m
"Lola, it seems like Maine is really angry," I said to her, worried. "It looks like she'll never forgive me for what I did." "Oh, don't worry about my grandchild. I know she still looks for you. I can see it in her actions. Just don't worry too much," Lola reassured me. "But, Lola, she might be so angry that she won't come back home," I said tensely. "She'll come back. Just continue with your plan with Sandro. When does he plan to bring her there?" She took a sip of her coffee. "Sandro, Olga, and I are still discussing our plan," I replied. "Well, hurry it up. She might suddenly burst in here when you're not prepared. Are your accomplices ready?" She glanced at the door where Maine had entered. "Everything's ready, Lola. We’ve arranged everything. We might be able to execute the plan next week." I felt more confident knowing Lola was on my side. "Make sure of it. I'm running out of things to say to my grandchild whenever she asks if I'm taking your side," she said, her face sho
I was speechless when I saw my wife, Demi, at the dining table. I couldn't confront my grandmother about why she invited Demi to our home, fearing she might get angry with me instead. I ate in silence, and Demi did the same, while Grandma watched us closely. After a while, Grandma cleared her throat. "Ahem," she said, breaking the silence. "Are you two just going to sit there quietly?" I looked at Demi, who seemed just as uncomfortable as I was. Grandma's eyes shifted between us, filled with concern. "You need to talk things out," she continued. "You can't keep ignoring whatever's going on between you." Demi and I exchanged glances, both at a loss for words. I knew she was right. "Lola, what is Demi doing here?" I asked. "I invited him. Why? Is that a problem?" she responded. "But Lola, you know we're going through something," I replied, frowning. "What are you talking about? Why don't you two just talk?" she said, her brows furrowed. "Lola, I don't think I should be here.
"What did your senyorita say, Olga? Is she still curious about my girl?" I asked Olga when we met outside her school. "She's still waiting for news, Senyorito. And she saw the flowers you planted behind the house. She was so happy," she replied. "Really? How did she know I planted them?" I asked excitedly. "Well, there wasn't anyone else who could have planted them because she said her grandma doesn't know how to plant flowers—they always die. So, she figured out it was you when I brought the flowers to her from you," Olga explained. "Oh, what did she say? Did she like the flowers?" I asked happily. "Yes, Senyorito. She loved the flowers you planted. She couldn't believe it was you who planted them," she replied. "Why not?" I frowned at what she said. "Because she didn't know you could plant flowers. So, I told her that the flowers around your mansion were planted by you," she said, glancing at her watch. "Thank you so much, Olga. Was she really happy with the flowers,
I continued pondering why Demi would plant the flowers he sent me at the back of the house. Shortly after, Olga approached me. "Senyorita, what are you doing at the back of the house?" she asked. "Don't you know, Olga, that someone is planting the flowers my husband sends me here at the back?" I asked her. "No, senyorita, because as you instructed, I always return them to senyorito," she replied. "Ah, I see. Because I saw them earlier and asked Lola, but she said it wasn't her who planted them. So it must have been Demi. Turns out he's quite skilled at planting flowers, isn't he?" I said to Olga. "Yes, senyorita. Over at senyorito's mansion, he plants flowers there. He's responsible for all the flowers planted on the grounds," she replied with a smile, gently touching the flowers. "Really? He never mentioned these things to me," I said, looking at the blooming flowers. "Perhaps you didn't have the chance to talk privately," she suggested, glancing at me. "We do talk abo
I laughed when Olga told me and admitted that she really has a crush on Uncle Sandro. She said she only pretends to be angry, but deep inside, she gets thrilled and happy. I just scratched my head at what she said. "What does that girl see in my uncle? He doesn’t have any good qualities aside from being handsome. That's all he can boast about. And yes, he has money, but that's it," I thought, falling into deep contemplation. I was really thinking that perhaps Olga and I were going through similar experiences. I realized that I couldn't quite pinpoint what I liked about my ex-husband Demi either. He wasn’t really kind. He was, at first, but towards the end, he stopped listening, which is why we separated. He and my uncle really have similar personalities. No wonder they get along so well as friends. I decided to step out onto the terrace of my room to get some fresh air. As I looked around, I found joy in watching the trees swaying with the breeze. My eyes wandered to the back of
Olga arrived at the house frowning. I thought something had happened to her. "Oh, why do you look like you had a fight outside?" I asked her. "Nothing, senyorita," she replied to me, "your kind uncle is here." "What did he do to you this time?" I asked, my forehead furrowed. "Hey, Olga, where are you going?" I heard Uncle Sandro call out to Olga. I saw how Olga's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, there’s your annoying uncle again," she said to me, hurriedly making her way to the kitchen. "Olga, I'm talking to you!" Uncle Sandro called out. "What do you need from Olga, Uncle Sandro?" I asked him. "Why is she so annoyed with you? What did you do this time?" I stopped him as he attempted to follow Olga. "Nothing! I didn't do anything to her. I was just asking her something," he replied. "So, what were you asking her?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of him. I knew it was probably some nonsense that was irritating Olga. "Nothing, I was just asking if she has a crush on me." He
"She was really furious?" I asked happily after Olga told me about my wife's reaction. "Yes, sir. She was so angry she wanted to get violent. She even asked Marisa and me to find out when that woman you supposedly have would be coming over," Olga replied, glancing around. "Oh, and what did you tell her?" I asked, rubbing my chin thoughtfully with my thumb and forefinger. "I told Senyorita that I would talk to Marisa to find out the schedule of the woman so we could come over," Olga replied with a smile. We had met in front of her school to talk, knowing my wife never went there. "Is that so? That's great news. You really deserve a bonus for this," I said, smiling at her. "No need for that, sir. I'm doing this to help you because you've helped me a lot," she replied, blushing and smiling with her hands in her pockets. "It's nothing. I know you're a good person and you deserve the reward. Don't worry, Marisa and I will take care of you both. I'll support you all the way," I assur